The McNay

I wil admit that I was originally just as interested in going to see the art museum known simply as The McNay because my mom's bridal pictures were taken on the grounds as the fact that it has great art and interesting architecture. However, by the time I finished my visit I ended up liking it and its collections on their own merits.

The McNay of course has plenty of gorgeous artworks in various media and including some very famous artists (Van Gogh, Picasso, Rivera, O'Keefe...) One of the greatest factors which particularly distinguishes it, though, are the security personnel who are scattered throughout the different galleries and will happily strike up a friendly conversation and share interesting stories about the items in the room. One pointed out the first picture procured by the collector whose house and art collection founded the McNay:

(it's the portrait of the young girl in the middle, by Diego Rivera)

Another told the story of a woman who modeled for Picasso, and her visit to the museum a few years ago. We were also told about the particular architectural features and their previous uses. And we ended up having a jovial discussion about travelling and the lack of good TexMex anywhere else but here in Texas.

Another pleasant surprise was the amount of female artists represented. If you look at art museums as a whole, there are some pretty discouraging statistics regarding the representation (or lack thereof) of women artists in the collections and exhibits of art museums. However (while I admittedly did not count or calculate any numbers), there were many female artisans represented in the collection of the McNay Museum. I jotted down the names of particular artists as I went along, and found several of both genders about whom I look forward reading more and investigating when I am able.

Because of the heat of the day I did not end up seeing everything in the sculpture garden and grounds of the McNay, or find the exact area where my mom's bridal photos were taken; but I did see one young woman posing for her Quinceanera portrait, so I know the McNay continues to be an all-around beautiful place.